Florida Senate - 2016                                     SB 642
       
       
        
       By Senator Diaz de la Portilla
       
       
       
       
       
       40-00910-16                                            2016642__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to drones; amending s. 934.50, F.S.;
    3         providing for liability for damage to person or
    4         property in this state for which operation of a drone
    5         was a substantial contributing factor; providing an
    6         effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Subsections (5) and (6) of section 934.50,
   11  Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (6) and (7),
   12  respectively, and a new subsection (5) is added to that section,
   13  to read:
   14         934.50 Searches and seizure using a drone.—
   15         (5) LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF DRONE USE.—
   16         (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a person who
   17  suffers an injury to person or property in this state for which
   18  the operation of a drone was a substantial contributing factor
   19  is entitled to recover all damages arising from the operation of
   20  the drone from the owner and operator of the drone, jointly.
   21         (b) Injury to person or property in this state for which
   22  the operation of a drone was a substantial contributing factor
   23  that arises out of or is caused in substantial part by a defect
   24  in the manufacture or design of a drone may be recovered from
   25  the manufacturer, distributor, owner, and operator of the drone,
   26  jointly.
   27         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.